Mass Effect & Star Trek - Duality
by SaloManiac
Summary: The USS Vagrant, a Nova-class using experimental engine technology is sent hurtling into an unknown world. Almost powerless, they ask for assistance from the SSV Normandy. ME storyline with a twist.


ST & ME: Duality  
A Star Trek and Mass Effect fanfiction in the ME universe.

Note: I know it seems close to Mary Sue-ism, dropping an advanced Starfleet vessel into the Mass Effect universe, but I have a plan, so bare with me and drop me a line if you feel I'm going overboard. Constructive Criticism is welcomed. Effortless flaming is discouraged and made fun of by the author upon a moment of boredom. ( Adding smiley for reference. :P )

I am a fan of both the ME universe as well as the decades old continuum that is recognized as the Trekkies' paradise... oh wait, no... Ah, yes, the Star Trek universe. So without further delay, here's a depiction of fanfiction from the deep recesses of my mind.

One further note: I won't be following the "script" of Mass Effect exactly, but I will attempt to stay true to it at the crucial points. Thank you.

Prologue: Confusion

In a sector of space, unknown to the United Federation of Planets, the experimental Nova-class starship, the USS Vagrant lay crippled in space. The Science vessel's nacelles glowed too dim for any real power to be flowing through them. The pearly white hull of the ship appeared as dark as the space around, with only the flashing of interior lighting showing off bits of the majestic ships form. Admittedly, the ship was not the largest or most powerful of Starfleet's ships, but for Captain Timothy Carter, it was home and the proudest of his achievements.

Inside the ship, on deck 7, the dark haired Captain moved along the flashing corridor of the ship, having crawled through Jeffries' tubes, an interconnected network of crawlspaces running through the height, length and width of the ship to reach engineering, only to take a wrong turn and end up at the access hatch furthest from the engine-room. Granted, moving through intermittently dark, identical crawlspaces was disorienting for any man, but for the Captain to lose direction in his own ship? Carter shook his head and stepped through the half open doors to engineering. His dark blue eyes scanned the room, noting the chaotic dance of engineering crewmen checking through other systems while desperately repairing others. He took note of insignificant things. The crew's uniforms were dusty. The black suit and dark gray decorative padding all covered in an ash-like substance, some bad enough to hide their golden collars signifying them as engineering officers. He didn't really care. Just enough to notice it. It was his crew. He took care of them.

"Captain!" A voice reached Carter's attention and he turned to one of the side displays, where his chief engineer tucked her messy black hair behind her ear and glanced at him with her hazel eyes. Something of a vain action, considering her Vulcan origin, but once again, the Captain let it slide. Vulcans had control of their emotions, but they weren't gone. He'd known enough of the pointed eared humanoids to know they took pride in their work and were loyal beyond mere duty.

The Captain moved to the chief's side. "Saval. Tell me you know what's wrong with the engines." he pleaded, to which the engineer nodded and punched a few buttons in the display.

"Yes, Captain. At the exact moment our sensors registered our impact with the anomaly in slipstream, our dilithium crystals lost their cohesion and disintegrated." Chief Saval reported, causing a sigh to escape the Captain's lips. It was evident that her in-depth analysis was not what the tired Captain was expecting so Saval pondered for a moment, before coming up with a suitable explanation. "The crystals ceased to exist, sir. The matter anti-matter functions were sealed in accordance with emergency procedures and the slipstream conduit collapsed unevenly, causing an energy spike that ran through the ship's systems. We're now running on auxiliary power only." she explained, much to Captain Carter's dismay.

"How can dilithium crystals cease to exist?" The Captain pondered aloud.

"Because the universe no longer recognized their possible form or function." Another person had managed to sneak behind the Captain, startling him from his thoughts. "Don't ask me to explain it, Captain. All I know for now is that we've either pulled a traveler and moved into a place that defies the laws of physics as we know them or, well I have no other explanation." Science officer Andem Trell spoke, finding his place next to the Captain on the other side from Saval. The three stared at the engineering display in silence for a moment, all in thought before Captain Carter broke the silence.

"I doubt any accident could cause a slipstream to accelerate us to the speeds the Traveler used on the Enterprise, but at this point I'm not ruling out any options. We'll assume, for now, that we're somewhere where our laws of physics are slightly out of alignment. I'm also going to assume that we need an alternate power source, or miraculously attempt to find a replacement for dilithium crystals."

The Captain moved to the partially translucent matter anti-matter reaction chamber and pat the communicator on in his chest. "This is Captain Timothy Carter to the crew. Our slipstream experiment has caused unforeseen consequences. I cannot in good faith claim that I know exactly what is going on, but it would appear that the Vagrant has been pushed outside known space. I will inform you as we come to a conclusive theory. But for now, I want you all to continue with your duties. I've known you for only a short time, but I depend on and trust each and every one of you to perform admirably in any situation. Carter out." The Captain spoke to the crew and saw determination blink in the eyes of the engineering staff. "I have 81 lives under my wings, gentlemen. I need theories, plans and solutions. Trell, start routine scans of the surrounding space. Stellar cartography should start building a map. Any excess power we can muster will be added to sensors. If you need, relocate personnel from non-essential sections and cut life support. Saval, if there's anyone in the whole Federation who can find a work-around to our dilithium problem, it's you. put those years of experience to work. All non-essential staff apart from a skeleton tactical staff will be under your command. Let's get this ship somewhere safe. Then we'll worry about where we actually are." Both officers saluted the Captain, who turned on his heels and headed for the bridge. His eyes portrayed his determination. He would find a way for this crew to return home.

Chapter One - It Begins

The streamlined prototype stealth frigate, The SSV Normandy flew gracefully towards the sol relay, the mass accelerator relay connecting Earth to the rest of the known galaxy, the one percent capable of effective travel using the relays. The massive space-borne structures appeared like a stretched diamond shape with a continuous mass effect being created by a set of spinning rings at the widest point of the diamond structure. One could also describe them as cannons that shot the ships to their intended destinations. The technology behind the relays was ancient, over fifty millenia old. Construction of similar systems had become the base for all technologically advanced civilisations. Everything from weapons to starship engines was based on the use of Element Zero or eezo to created mass effect fields, lowering the mass of ships or increasing the mass of molten metal used as weaponry in mass accelerator cannons.

Passing the focal point of the relay, the Normandy was immediately accelerated into speeds impossible to reach by standard FTL.

Commander John Shepard stepped through the corridor leading to the bridge of the Normandy, listening to flight lieutenant Jeff "Joker" Moreau's report about emissions and spatial drift. He also noted the presence of their VIP, the Council's prided Spectre, The Turian named Nihlus. The Turian's were a humanoid race known for their militaristic and disciplined culture. Turians typically stood over six feet tall, had two long, proportionately thick fingers and an opposable thumb on each hand, each tipped with talons, and a set of mandibles around their mouths. The most distinguishing feature of Turians was their metallic carapace, which was a result of their evolution. Their heads usually bore a "crown" of horns extending bacwards from their skull. Their eyes were sunk deeper into their skulls than those of a human, giving the Turians an illusion of having small, beady eyes. Their outward appearance, coupled with their colonial face paint gave the Turians a mean look even if they were as civilized as the next race.

"Nihlus gave you a compliment, so you hate him?" Shepard heard his team-mate's, Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko's voice as Nihlus passed him without a word.

"You remember to zip up your jumpsuit coming out of the bathroom, that's good. I just jumped us halfway across the galaxy and hit a target the size of a pinhead, so that's incredible." Joker retorted. "Besides, Spectres are trouble. I don't like having one aboard. Call me paranoid." he continued.

"You're paranoid." Alenko said and explained. "The council helped fund this project. They have a right to send someone to keep an eye on their investment."

"Yeah, that is the official story, but only an idiot believes the official story." Moreau mumbled.

Shepard chuckled. "You always expect the worst, Joker." he said, awaiting the flight lieutenants next retort.

Joker kept control of the Normandy, not looking back but responding. "Well, bad feelings are an occupational hazard. We don't go anywhere unless there's a good reason, so what are we doing here?" he asked, referring to Eden Prime, one of the System Alliance's most succesful colonies to date.

The three's conversations was cut short by the slight static hum of the intercom and Captain Anderson's voice. "_Joker. Give me a status report_."

"Just cleared the relay, sir. Stealth systems engaged. Everything looks solid." Joker reported.

"_Good. Find a comm buoy and link us into the network. I want mission reports relayed back to Alliance brass before we reach Eden Prime._" Anderson ordered.

Joker spoke. "Aye aye, Captain. Better brace yourself, sir. I think Nihlus is heading your way."

"_He's already here, lieutenant._" Came the response through the intercom and Joker shook his head for opening his big mouth once again. "_Tell commander shepard to meet me in the comm room for a debriefing._" And the intercom was cut.

"You get that, Commander?" Joker asked.

"I'm on my way." Shepard replied and moved away. Leaving Alenko and Joker chatting something about the Captain always sounding angry and how it was only when talking to Joker.

Shepard moved back into the CIC, walking past the information display that showed a holographic display of the galactic map and shortly greeting the ship's navigator, medical officer and one of his team-mates on his way to the comm room on the other end of the room, between the two passageways to the crew deck. Surprisingly, Captain Anderson wasn't present and only Nihlus stood in the otherwise empty room, a scenic shot of Eden prime dispayed on the mission display. "Commander Shepard. I was hoping for a chance to talk privately." he said without any further greeting.

Shepard disregarded the bluntness. "What about?" he asked instead.

"I'm interested in this world we're going to- Eden Prime. I heard it's quite beautiful." Nihlus spoke, a somewhat questioning tone in his voice.

"I've never been there." Shepard chose the shortest answer running through his mind. Of course he was aware of Eden Prime, but had no real opinion.

"But you know of it. It's become something of a symbol for your people, hasn't it?" Nihlus questioned. "Proof that humanity can not only establish colonies across the galaxy, but also protect them. But how safe is it, really?"

Shepard found himself slightly annoyed. The Turian was dancing around some issue, it was obvious. "If you've got something to say, just say it." he demanded from the Spectre.

Nihlus was only fueled by the demand. "Your people are newcomers, Shepard. The galaxy can be a dangerous place. Is the Alliance truly ready for this?" he asked.

Shepard thought a moment. Nihlus had been asking questions about him ever since he came aboard and now he was bombarding him with insinuating remarks. The Commander was starting to suspect the Turian had an ulterior motive, when Captain Anderson stepped into the room.

The dark skinned Captain of the Normandy stepped beside Shepard and spoke. "I think it's time we told the commander what's really going on."

Nihlus nodded and started. "This mission is far more than a simple shakedown run."

With military composure, Shepard avoided slapping a palm over his face. Joker was right. He'd never let him live this down. "Is someone going to fill me in, Captain?" he asked.

Anderson and Nihlus both assumed a professional stance. Shepard knew to expect all the answers he needed at this point. "We're making a covert pick-up on Eden Prime. That's why we needed the stealth systems operational." Anderson started.

"There must be a reason you didn't tell me, sir?" Shepard requested.

"This comes down from the top, Commander. Information strictly on a need-to-know basis." Anderson spoke and stepped closer to the center of the room. "A research team on Eden Prime found some kind of beacon during an excavation. It was Prothean. This is big, Shepard. The last time humanity made a discovery like this, it jumped our technology forward two hundred years." he explained and Shepard finally saw the need for all the secrecy. Protheans and their technology. The mass effect fields, the relays. This was truly something more than a routine shakedown flight. "But Eden Prime doesn't have the facilities to handle something like this. We need to take the beacon back to the Citadel for further study."

Nihlus chipped in. "Obviously this goes beyond mere human interests, commander. This discovery could affect every species in Council space." he explained.

"It never hurts to have a few extra hands on board." Shepard admitted, mostly to himself, but it seemed to sound good to the Spectre's ears.

"The beacon's not the only reason I'm here, Shepard." Nihlus admitted, crossing his arms.

"Nihlus wants to see you in action, Commander. He's here to evaluate you." Anderson spoke the words and if Shepard could get anymore interested, he just did.

"What's going on, Captain?" Shepard asked expectantly.

"The alliance has been pushing for this for a long time. Humanity wants a larger role in shaping interstellar policy. We want more say with the Citadel Council." Anderson explained.

"Your record speaks for itself, Shepard. Especially your actions during the raid on Elysium. You held off the enemy alone. A remarkable feat. That's why I put your name forward as a candidate for the Spectres." He explained.

Shepard turned to Anderson, knowing well what this meant for humanity. Humanity hadn't been in contact with other species for long and already they had achieved more than most races had in two hundred years. "We're counting on you, Shepard." he said simply.

"I need to see your skills for myself, Commander. This will be the first of several missions together." Nihlus told Shepard and turned to the Captain, his quick nod telling him to continue.

"You'll be in charge of the ground team. Secure the beacon get it onto the ship ASAP. Nihlus will accompany you as an observer." The Captain briefed Shepard, who nodded. "We should be getting close to Eden..." The Captain was cut off by the comm.

"_Captain, transmission from Eden Prime. You'd better see this._" Joker's voice came through the intercom and the comm-room display came to life. The scene was barely understandable. Eden Prime was under attack by an unknown assailant. Just before the feed was cut, the display showed a massive black claw descending from orbit, red charges of energy surrounding its hulking form. The Captain ordered the frame frozen at the claw. The three of them said nothing, neither did they understand what they were seeing. Whatever the black claw was, it was gigantic in size, and most likely the source of the attack.

(DUALITY)

"Captain. Sensors detected a short EM burst from a nearby star-system. It may have been a transmission, but I didn't have time to match frequencies. Whatever it was, it indicates intelligent life within a reasonable distance." Trell reported on the bridge of the Vagrant. The Trill science officer relayed the sensor information to the main viewer. It would take only half an hour to reach the system on half impulse, the top speed they could reach without use of main power.

Carter had no choice. "Set course for the origin of the signal." he ordered.

The USS Vagrant's impulse engine ignited, inertial dampeners fighting to keep the ship from crushing under its own force of acceleration. The under-powered ship achieved half impulse in a matter of seconds, the impulse drive giving the ship a somewhat ominous red glow. In the time they had spent in this unknown space, the Vagrant's crew had restored most of the basic functions of the ship, but without power, they could only use a limited amount of systems at one time. The engines took almost all the power she had, leaving scraps of energy for shields and other critical systems.

The Captain crossed his arms, offering silent prayer for any deity willing to offer an ear. At the moment, it would take little more than a meteor fragment to tear the ship to pieces. Never before had Carter felt so helpless. They had no idea where they were, or what they'd find at the source of the signal. All they knew was that who or whatever sent that signal had at least some form of technology.

The crew was silent for most of the trip. They kept up appearances for sanity's sake, but an air of expectation filled the eight decks of the Nova-class. This had to be the break they were hoping for. They all knew it.

"Sensors have a reading, sir. An M-class planet!" Trell almost roared with joy. But the joy soon turned to a solemn stare at the sensor screen. "Sir. It looks like there was a recent battle on the planet. I'm reading significant structural damage to many of the planets structures. I'm also reading a ship in orbit." he reported.

"Yellow alert. report to your positions. Match our comm channels with the signal you received earlier. I hope someone picks this up. Open hailing frequencies." The Captain ordered.

(DUALITY)

Joker's eyes widened as his eyes picked up a small white dot in the vicinity of the planet. They'd just witnessed the black ship ascend from the planet and leave the system and now they were facing another unknown. As the dot grew closer, Joker could recognize shapes. Unlike the black claw, this ship had a far less ominous appearance, but Moreau took no chances. "Captain. There's another unknown ship closing in on our position. Doesn't look like the one from before, though." he reported and soon saw Anderson running through the CIC corridor.

"Report!" He ordered before he even stopped. This was without a doubt the worst day of his life. Shepard was still down there. The black claw had escaped and just before Joker's call, he'd received a report that the Commander had been injured and the Prothean beacon was destroyed. And now this.

"I don't know, Captain. It just appeared out of nowhere. I'm not detecting any IFF, if the thing has one to start. Hold on. That ship's sending a signal on an Alliance emergency frequency. Orders?" Joker asked, pulling his cap tighter around his head.

Was this ship just in the wrong place at the wrong time? Who had a ship like that? It didn't match anything in any database he'd seen. The ship had a saucer section, that extended into a hull and two cylindrical shapes attached to the hull via pylons. A shape like that could barely handle any stress, yet the ship was closing in faster than the Normandy could move without using FTL. "Open a channel." Anderson finally decided. "Let's hear it."

"_Repeat. This is the USS Vagrant to unknown ship. We come in peace and need assistance. Please, we mean no harm. I hope this is getting through._" The voice on the channel sounded almost despaired.

"Sir. That ship doesn't register on our scanners. The computer's mistaking it for a metallic asteroid." a crew member reported from down the hall.

Anderson was at a loss. There was no way to know who or what was inside that ship. Was it sending a fake signal that masked it from sensors, or was it truly an unknown ship in distress? "Open a channel." The Captain finally ordered. "This is Captain Anderson on board the SSV Normandy. Repeat your identification." Anderson wanted to make sure he heard it right. The only known USS registry identification he knew of was in Earth's history. A United States naval vessel.

"_This is Captain Timothy Carter on board the USS Vagrant. We are currently running on auxiliary reactors only. Our warp reactor is... malfunctioning._" The alien ship's Captain obviously held back something. Or was it alien at all? The Captain introduced himself with a human name. And what exactly was a warp reactor? To date, Anderson had never heard of anything like that. "_May I speak to you in private, Captain?_" The wish was sudden, but perhaps understandable. The other ship likely had a CIC of sorts and just like Anderson's crew was listening to him, the other Captain's crew was probably listening in on the conversation as well.

Anderson sighed. This was not something he needed. The Commander's shuttle was just docking and he wanted to know what was going on. In the end, he relied on Alliance regulations. The ship was contacting them on an emergency frequency. It was his duty to render at least humanitarian aid, if possible. "I'll take the comm in my room." Anderson ordered and headed down to the crew deck and into his quarters.

(DUALITY)

Captain Carter sat down in his ready room and the rerouted comm-signal blinked on his personal screen. He punched a button on the display. Now that they were getting closer, a visual signal was possible. As the screen lit up, the Captain could see the face of his counterpart. A dark-skinned human, older than he was sat down and nodded something of a greeting to him.

"_We're speaking in private, Captain Carter._" Anderson spoke to him. Something in his tone relayed a feeling of relief. Perhaps he had not believed him to be human at all.

Carter sighed. "Captain Anderson. Thank you for responding. I'd like to explain the circumstances of our arrival here, although I have a feeling you'll find everything I'm about to explain to you a bit hard to believe. That's why I wanted to speak to you in private." And so the Captain explained the basics of his world to Anderson. He told the man about the United Federation of Planets, about Starfleet and about the Vagrant, their experimental ship that for some reason was now stranded in a world not quite like their own. He explained what had happened to their matter/antimatter drive, that the very basis of their drive had ceased to exist. Anderson listened patiently, genuine surprise flashing on his face as Carter explained about the multitude of races working side by side on-board the Starfleet vessel. "And that's it. I'm sure you understand why I wanted only you to hear this. You are the commanding officer of your ship and in the end, it falls on you whether to believe me or don't." Carter ended his story.

Anderson was silent for a long time, wrapping his thoughts around the subject of alternate worlds and a ship from a future that would never be theirs. These Starfleet vessels could achieve incredible speeds without the use of mass relays. Their weapons were probably equally impressive, even if the ship was supposedly a science vessel. "_I have to admit, I find your story difficult to believe. But here you are, in a ship that resembles nothing any race has ever built. A ship that reflects all scans and yet I can see you are a human. Very well, Captain Carter. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt for now. Besides I've got no time to argue. A injured member of my crew was just brought in from the surface._"

"I'd like to offer medical assistance. We have some advanced technology." Carter offered. "If you'll allow it, myself and one of our medical officers could beam on-board."

Anderson looked confused. "_Beam?_" he asked very simply. "_Very well, I'll allow it._ _You can beam on-board._" he responded.

"All right. Please wait a few minutes in your office. I do not wish to startle your crew." Carter cut the link and ordered a medical officer to meet him in the main transporter room.

(DUALITY)

Anderson stood up from his chair and waited patiently. Whatever this beaming was, he expected something miraculous to happen in the next few minutes. Soon enough, his cabin was filled with a glimmering blue light and a sound he could not describe. Two people materialized inside his cabin. One was Captain Carter and the other, a dark haired female in a similar uniform as the Captain, except for the blue color where the Captain's was red. Anderson stared wide-eyed at something he could only describe as impossible. Two people had just traveled through the void of space inside a stream of energy and simply appeared inside his room. "Captain Anderson. This is doctor Karen Simmons, our chief medical officer. The case in her hand contains only medical equipment. I am unarmed, as you can see." Captain Carter explained.

Anderson soon regained his composure and nodded to the two. "Follow me. They just brought Shepard to the medical bay."

Shocked eyes followed Captain Anderson as he exited his cabin with two people that weren't there before. They didn't dare ask the Captain for an explanation, so they just stood there and watched as the three people entered medical.

Carter entered last. He could see a line of beds and an aged female doctor looming over an unconscious patient, Commander Shepard he assumed. Doctor Simmons stepped to Doctor Chakwas and opened his medical case, pulling out a tricorder. "This is Doctor Simmons from the unknown ship. Their medical technology is advanced. Please allow her to help, Doctor Chakwas." Anderson spoke very calmly. The aging doctor nod her head once and stepped aside, allowing her younger counterpart to work.

Simmons took a minute to scan the Commander. "It appears the commander is suffering from a case of information overload. His brains are showing residual signs of a massive upload of data from somewhere. It's like a Vulcan mind meld, Captain, only a hundred times as powerful. I'm surprised he's still alive. I'll apply a cortical stimulator to ease the strain on his brains, but he should awake soon." She explained and placed a small device on the Commander's temple. She then approached Chakwas and showed her the results of her scan. The two doctors started a conversation that to everyone else in the room was gibberish.

"Captain Anderson. With all due respect, who the hell are these guys?" an armored male asked, distress in his voice. He was most likely a member of the Commander's away team, Carter imagined.

Anderson turned to the soldier. "Lieutenant Alenko. This is Captain Carter. He's the commanding officer of an unknown ship that entered the system a while ago. For the moment, that's all the information you're entitled to. Joker, Engineer Adams, I need the two of you to come up with a way for the unknown ship to follow us through the mass relay. We need to get both ships to the Citadel, ASAP." Anderson ordered through the intercom.

Carter patted the small insignia on his chest and spoke. "Carter to Saval and Trell. I want you two to co-operate with the Normandy's crew for engine modifications. We'll be using their method of interstellar flight for now. I don't care how you do it, but get it done. Carter out." The Captain of the Vagrant turned to Anderson. "I trust you with the safety of my crew, Captain. We'll follow your orders and suggestions as far as it doesn't conflict with the ethical directives of the Federation."


End file.
